title: Differential expression of ISG20 in chronic hepatitis B patients and relation to interferon-alpha therapy response.
abstract: The 20 kDa exonuclease encoded by the interferon-stimulated gene, ISG20, can inhibit the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and may represent a clinically useful prognostic marker for response to interferon-alpha (IFN-α) antiviral therapy. The present study was designed to investigate the differential expression patterns of ISG20 in liver biopsy samples from treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B and non-HBV infected controls and to determine the relation between the differential expression and IFN-α treatment outcome (responders vs. non-responders). HBV infection status was determined by measuring levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by chemoluminescence immunoassay and of HBV DNA by real-time quantitative (q)PCR. ISG20 protein and mRNA expressions were assessed by immunohistochemistry and qPCR, respectively. Chronic hepatitis B responders showed significantly higher levels of ISG20 protein and mRNA expressions than either the chronic hepatitis B non-responders or the controls. Moreover, increased expression of ISG20 in both the nucleus and cytoplasm was correlated with positive response to IFN-α treatment. Thus, active transcription and translation of ISG20 may represent a marker to identify chronic hepatitis B patients likely to respond to IFN-α therapy. Prognostic clinical strategies based upon this marker may include genomic screening methods and immunohistochemical staining of liver biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xue-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Li-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005092:Exonucleases / Q000032:analysis*; D005095:Exoribonucleases; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D005092:Exonucleases; D005095:Exoribonucleases; C112346:ISG20 protein, human
keywords: chronic hepatitis B; interferon-stimulated gene 20; interferon-α, immunohistochemistry